MormonWiki.org:Today's featured article/September 2006

[edit] September 1

Changes in the Book of Mormon - The Book of Mormon has had substantial changes made to it. For example, "Son of" was added to 1 Nephi 13:40 and 1 Nephi 11:21 to rid it of Smith's early modalism. In 1981, Nephi 30:6 was changed to read "pure and delightsome" instead of "white and delightsome" (for obvious reasons). There are many more examples. A common misconception by Mormons is that the BoM has only undergone minor spelling and grammatical changes. (more...)

[edit] September 2

Anti-Mormon is a term generally used by Mormons to refer to a person, book, or another object or thought that appears to be against the Mormon religion. Most of the time this can be seen in situations involving a critique of Mormon theology where LDS become frequently offended and tend to write off such critiques as "anti-Mormon". Unfortunately, Mormons easily write off books that assess and critique Mormon theology, thus limiting the material's audience to those inside the Christian circle or others who are motivated to learn something about the LDS faith (using non-LDS sources). This does not mean such books should not be written, but what should be taken note of is the quick, emotional reaction within the Mormon circle to anything that is evidently "anti". The result is a Mormonism that embraces the postmodern idea of "tolerance", the belief that all faiths should be tolerated and accepted. Critique has little if any place in the Mormon faith, especially in the area of theology. (more...)

[edit] September 3

The Kinderhook plates were a set of 6 small, bell-shaped pieces of brass with strange engravings discovered in 1843 in an Indian mound near Kinderhook, Illinois. Designed to appear ancient, the plates were in fact a forgery created by three men in Kinderhook. William Clayton wrote in his journal: "I have seen 6 brass plates... covered with ancient characters of language containing from 30 to 40 on each side of the plates. Prest J. has translated a portion and says they contain the history of the person with whom they were found and he was a descendant of Ham through the loins of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and that he received his kingdom from the ruler of heaven and earth." (more...)

[edit] September 4

The Miracle of Forgiveness, by Spencer W. Kimball, is perhaps the bluntest literature available on the traditional Mormon gospel. "Trying is not sufficient. Nor is repentance complete when one merely tries to abandon sin" (p.164). It is known by Christians who evangelize to Mormons for its perfectionism, the impossible prerequisites its gives for forgiveness, and its definition of repentance as the perfect, successful abandonment of sin. (more...)

[edit] September 5

Neo-Mormon theology, sometimes called Mormon neo-orthodoxy (neo, meaning "new") is a term used to describe a new kind of theology that has more recently appeared in Mormon theological discussions. It is new in that it is out of line with historically held beliefs, and even appears contradictory to statements made by past prophets and apostles of the Mormon church. Of the most popular 'neo-Mormon' scholars are Robert Millet and Stephen Robinson. (more...)

[edit] September 6

Comparison between Mormonism and Christianity - Christianity is about having a lived-out relationship with Jesus Christ, who is God, and believing things that fundamentally affect that relationship, particularly things concerning the nature of God, the design of creation, the purpose of life, what makes sin so bad, the purpose and means of salvation (in the person and work of Christ), and the appeal of the afterlife. While Mormonism shares many customs, terms, conservative values, and even significant beliefs with Christianity, it not only differs with traditional, Biblical Christianity over fundamental worldview assumptions, but even denies that they have significance in one's lived-out relationship with Christ. (more...)

[edit] September 7

The Miracle of Forgiveness, by Spencer W. Kimball, is perhaps the bluntest literature available on the traditional Mormon gospel. "Trying is not sufficient. Nor is repentance complete when one merely tries to abandon sin" (p.164). It is known by Christians who evangelize to Mormons for its perfectionism, the impossible prerequisites its gives for forgiveness, and its definition of repentance as the perfect, successful abandonment of sin. (more...)

[edit] September 8

The Kinderhook plates were a set of 6 small, bell-shaped pieces of brass with strange engravings discovered in 1843 in an Indian mound near Kinderhook, Illinois. Designed to appear ancient, the plates were in fact a forgery created by three men in Kinderhook. William Clayton wrote in his journal: "I have seen 6 brass plates... covered with ancient characters of language containing from 30 to 40 on each side of the plates. Prest J. has translated a portion and says they contain the history of the person with whom they were found and he was a descendant of Ham through the loins of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and that he received his kingdom from the ruler of heaven and earth." (more...)

[edit] September 9

Comparison between Mormonism and Christianity - Christianity is about having a lived-out relationship with Jesus Christ, who is God, and believing things that fundamentally affect that relationship, particularly things concerning the nature of God, the design of creation, the purpose of life, what makes sin so bad, the purpose and means of salvation (in the person and work of Christ), and the appeal of the afterlife. While Mormonism shares many customs, terms, conservative values, and even significant beliefs with Christianity, it not only differs with traditional, Biblical Christianity over fundamental worldview assumptions, but even denies that they have significance in one's lived-out relationship with Christ. (more...)

[edit] September 10

Lying for the Lord refers to the practice of lying to protect the image of and belief in the Mormon religion, a practice which Mormonism itself fosters in various ways. From Joseph Smith's denial of having more than one wife, to Gordon B. Hinckley's dishonest equivocation on national television, Mormonism's history seems replete with examples of lying. Common members see such examples as situations where lying is justified. For the Mormon, the welfare of the church is more important than the principle of honesty, and plausible denials and deception by omission are warranted by an opportunity to have the Mormon organization seen in the best possible light. This is part of the larger package of things that lead many to describe Mormonism as a cult. "Lying for the lord" is part of Mormonism's larger deceptive mainstreaming tactics, and conversion numbers would drastically lower if important Mormon beliefs were fully disclosed to investigators. (more...)

[edit] September 11

Mormonism teaches that The Fall was a wonderful and fortunate event, empowering man with more liberty to choose (now "knowing good and evil"), with the ability to procreate, and with the opportunity to prove one's worthiness through a learning process unto personal exaltation and full potential (godhood). This is connected to other Mormon doctrines like the purpose of life, eternal progression, and Pelagianism. The curses that followed the fall of Adam and Eve are considered blessings, and the action that Adam and Even committed is considered righteous, intelligent, and worth imitating. To rationalize this, Mormons make a distinction between "transgression" and "sin", and argue from the premise that Adam and Eve could not have obeyed the command to "be fruitful and multiply" without first eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. (more...)

[edit] September 12

Conception of Jesus — "As startling and offensive as it sounds, Mormon leaders have consistently taught that Jesus Christ was physically begotten by God the Father, who they teach possesses a physical body." This stems from the Mormon teachings that all spirit is really a finer matter, that the Holy Spirit did not beget Jesus (contra the Bible), and that Christ's status of "only-begotten" refers to his real lineage from the Father and Mary. More »

[edit] September 13

Attempt to sell Book of Mormon copyright — "Hiram Page wrote with bitterness years later that the prophet heard he could sell the copyright of any useful book in Canada and that he then received a revelation that 'this would be a good opportunity to get a handsome sum.' Page explained that once expenses were met the profits were to be 'for the exclusive benefit of the Smith family and was to be at the disposal of Joseph.' Page indicated that they hoped to get $8,000 for the copyright and that they traveled to Canada covertly to prevent Martin Harris from sharing in the dividend. Smith evidently believed that Harris was well enough off while his own family was destitute. When Page, Cowdery, and Knight arrived at Kingston, Ontario, they found no buyer. Martin Harris apparently learned of what was done, and Joseph guaranteed him in writing that he would share in any profits made from the subsequent sales of the book." More »

[edit] September 14

Postmodern aspects — Some aspects of historic Mormonism make it fit very well with postmodernism, and contemporary Mormonism is heavily influenced by the trend as a whole. Mormons tend to be very skeptical over knowing objective meaning and authorial intent in text, especially religious text, and view criticism of anyone's beliefs (especially their own) as deeply unethical. Unfortunately for Christian evangelists, Mormons also view authoritative proclamation of one's own worldview, as though it were absolutely true, as deeply unethical, and view means of communication which are distinctively connected to authoritative views of truth as inappropriate and "contentious". More »

[edit] September 15

An atheological tendency refers to a tendency not to be concerned with theology (especially the nature of God) as a fundamental part of one's worldview. When used to describe people, it indicates an indifference to supreme reality and the coherence of one's doctrine. In the life of an atheological person, the theological basics of their professed religion (the nature of God, the purpose of life, etc.) do not play an integral role in their feelings or thoughts. One can be atheological and be well acquainted with one's religion. What makes one atheological is that the "why" questions to their fundamental life choices are not answered by a theology-driven worldview. Many of the Pharisees, for example, were atheological. They knew the scriptures, but they rejected Jesus in order to preserve their status quo and culture. A key to understanding Mormon people is recognizing their atheological tendency to ignore incoherence and to focus on more accessible, social aspects of their religion. Many have argued that the primary "glue" of Mormonism is the heritage, culture, and family ties, not the theology. More »

[edit] September 16

Changes in the Book of Mormon - The Book of Mormon has had substantial changes made to it. For example, "Son of" was added to 1 Nephi 13:40 and 1 Nephi 11:21 to rid it of Smith's early modalism. In 1981, Nephi 30:6 was changed to read "pure and delightsome" instead of "white and delightsome" (for obvious reasons). There are many more examples. A common misconception by Mormons is that the BoM has only undergone minor spelling and grammatical changes. (more...)

[edit] September 17

Anti-Mormon is a term generally used by Mormons to refer to a person, book, or another object or thought that appears to be against the Mormon religion. Most of the time this can be seen in situations involving a critique of Mormon theology where LDS become frequently offended and tend to write off such critiques as "anti-Mormon". Unfortunately, Mormons easily write off books that assess and critique Mormon theology, thus limiting the material's audience to those inside the Christian circle or others who are motivated to learn something about the LDS faith (using non-LDS sources). This does not mean such books should not be written, but what should be taken note of is the quick, emotional reaction within the Mormon circle to anything that is evidently "anti". The result is a Mormonism that embraces the postmodern idea of "tolerance", the belief that all faiths should be tolerated and accepted. Critique has little if any place in the Mormon faith, especially in the area of theology. (more...)

[edit] September 18

The Kinderhook plates were a set of 6 small, bell-shaped pieces of brass with strange engravings discovered in 1843 in an Indian mound near Kinderhook, Illinois. Designed to appear ancient, the plates were in fact a forgery created by three men in Kinderhook. William Clayton wrote in his journal: "I have seen 6 brass plates... covered with ancient characters of language containing from 30 to 40 on each side of the plates. Prest J. has translated a portion and says they contain the history of the person with whom they were found and he was a descendant of Ham through the loins of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and that he received his kingdom from the ruler of heaven and earth." (more...)

[edit] September 19

Changes in the Book of Mormon - The Book of Mormon has had substantial changes made to it. For example, "Son of" was added to 1 Nephi 13:40 and 1 Nephi 11:21 to rid it of Smith's early modalism. In 1981, Nephi 30:6 was changed to read "pure and delightsome" instead of "white and delightsome" (for obvious reasons). There are many more examples. A common misconception by Mormons is that the BoM has only undergone minor spelling and grammatical changes. (more...)

[edit] September 20

Mormonism teaches that The Fall was a wonderful and fortunate event, empowering man with more liberty to choose (now "knowing good and evil"), with the ability to procreate, and with the opportunity to prove one's worthiness through a learning process unto personal exaltation and full potential (godhood). This is connected to other Mormon doctrines like the purpose of life, eternal progression, and Pelagianism. The curses that followed the fall of Adam and Eve are considered blessings, and the action that Adam and Even committed is considered righteous, intelligent, and worth imitating. To rationalize this, Mormons make a distinction between "transgression" and "sin", and argue from the premise that Adam and Eve could not have obeyed the command to "be fruitful and multiply" without first eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. (more...)

[edit] September 21

Neo-Mormon theology, sometimes called Mormon neo-orthodoxy (neo, meaning "new") is a term used to describe a new kind of theology that has more recently appeared in Mormon theological discussions. It is new in that it is out of line with historically held beliefs, and even appears contradictory to statements made by past prophets and apostles of the Mormon church. Of the most popular 'neo-Mormon' scholars are Robert Millet and Stephen Robinson. (more...)

[edit] September 22

Changes in the Book of Mormon - The Book of Mormon has had substantial changes made to it. For example, "Son of" was added to 1 Nephi 13:40 and 1 Nephi 11:21 to rid it of Smith's early modalism. In 1981, Nephi 30:6 was changed to read "pure and delightsome" instead of "white and delightsome" (for obvious reasons). There are many more examples. A common misconception by Mormons is that the BoM has only undergone minor spelling and grammatical changes. (more...)

[edit] September 23

Mormonism teaches that The Fall was a wonderful and fortunate event, empowering man with more liberty to choose (now "knowing good and evil"), with the ability to procreate, and with the opportunity to prove one's worthiness through a learning process unto personal exaltation and full potential (godhood). This is connected to other Mormon doctrines like the purpose of life, eternal progression, and Pelagianism. The curses that followed the fall of Adam and Eve are considered blessings, and the action that Adam and Even committed is considered righteous, intelligent, and worth imitating. To rationalize this, Mormons make a distinction between "transgression" and "sin", and argue from the premise that Adam and Eve could not have obeyed the command to "be fruitful and multiply" without first eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. (more...)

[edit] September 24

Postmodern aspects — Some aspects of historic Mormonism make it fit very well with postmodernism, and contemporary Mormonism is heavily influenced by the trend as a whole. Mormons tend to be very skeptical over knowing objective meaning and authorial intent in text, especially religious text, and view criticism of anyone's beliefs (especially their own) as deeply unethical. Unfortunately for Christian evangelists, Mormons also view authoritative proclamation of one's own worldview, as though it were absolutely true, as deeply unethical, and view means of communication which are distinctively connected to authoritative views of truth as inappropriate and "contentious". More »

[edit] September 25

Neo-Mormon theology, sometimes called Mormon neo-orthodoxy (neo, meaning "new") is a term used to describe a new kind of theology that has more recently appeared in Mormon theological discussions. It is new in that it is out of line with historically held beliefs, and even appears contradictory to statements made by past prophets and apostles of the Mormon church. Of the most popular 'neo-Mormon' scholars are Robert Millet and Stephen Robinson. (more...)

[edit] September 26

Postmodern aspects — Some aspects of historic Mormonism make it fit very well with postmodernism, and contemporary Mormonism is heavily influenced by the trend as a whole. Mormons tend to be very skeptical over knowing objective meaning and authorial intent in text, especially religious text, and view criticism of anyone's beliefs (especially their own) as deeply unethical. Unfortunately for Christian evangelists, Mormons also view authoritative proclamation of one's own worldview, as though it were absolutely true, as deeply unethical, and view means of communication which are distinctively connected to authoritative views of truth as inappropriate and "contentious". More »

[edit] September 27

MormonWiki.org:Today's featured article/September 27, 2006

[edit] September 28

Conception of Jesus — "As startling and offensive as it sounds, Mormon leaders have consistently taught that Jesus Christ was physically begotten by God the Father, who they teach possesses a physical body." This stems from the Mormon teachings that all spirit is really a finer matter, that the Holy Spirit did not beget Jesus (contra the Bible), and that Christ's status of "only-begotten" refers to his real lineage from the Father and Mary. More »

[edit] September 29

Attempt to sell Book of Mormon copyright — "Hiram Page wrote with bitterness years later that the prophet heard he could sell the copyright of any useful book in Canada and that he then received a revelation that 'this would be a good opportunity to get a handsome sum.' Page explained that once expenses were met the profits were to be 'for the exclusive benefit of the Smith family and was to be at the disposal of Joseph.' Page indicated that they hoped to get $8,000 for the copyright and that they traveled to Canada covertly to prevent Martin Harris from sharing in the dividend. Smith evidently believed that Harris was well enough off while his own family was destitute. When Page, Cowdery, and Knight arrived at Kingston, Ontario, they found no buyer. Martin Harris apparently learned of what was done, and Joseph guaranteed him in writing that he would share in any profits made from the subsequent sales of the book." More »

[edit] September 30

Postmodernism — Some aspects of historic Mormonism make it fit very well with postmodernism, and contemporary Mormonism is heavily influenced by the trend as a whole. Mormons tend to be very skeptical over knowing objective meaning and authorial intent in text, especially religious text, and view criticism of anyone's beliefs (especially their own) as deeply unethical. Unfortunately for Christian evangelists, Mormons also view authoritative proclamation of one's own worldview, as though it were absolutely true, as deeply unethical, and view means of communication which are distinctively connected to authoritative views of truth as inappropriate and "contentious". More »